Chapter 12: Causing a Negative Impact Does Not Equal My Liability for Damages

"Damn! That lunatic!"

"He's still acting crazy at a time like this!"

"Is he actually okay in the head?"

"What on earth is he trying to do?"

"He probably thinks there's no one left in this world who can deal with him. Being so glib about such serious matters is truly vulgar. To think that a person like this was once an A-list celebrity! It’s pathetic just thinking about it!"

"I think I’ve figured out his psychological state. The whole world thinks he’s wrong, that he cheated, and he has no way to refute it, so he can only use this self-righteous humor to show he doesn't care, to express his mockery! He’s as childish as an elementary school boy."

"Please, just ban him already. I don’t want to see him again; he’s an eyesore!"

"Support the ban!"

"Get lost, you disgraced artist!"

"Cheng Cheng has truly turned himself into a joke."

"Do you have the guts to give a direct response? Before, you said the company wouldn't let you, but now that they've terminated your contract, can you tell us what’s really going on?"

—

Having taken the opportunity to rake in another wave of points, Cheng Cheng ignored the chaos on Weibo. Since he had only managed to fire off three words, he was currently busy sparring with various brand representatives.

The chain reaction from terminating his contract with Xianghua Entertainment had arrived.

Previously, brands had unilaterally announced the termination of their endorsement contracts with Cheng Cheng, and their demands for compensation had been directed straight to Xianghua Entertainment. They hadn't gotten anywhere then, but now that Cheng Cheng had cut ties with the agency, Xianghua Entertainment had simply handed over his private phone number to every one of them.

You want compensation? Go talk to him directly! He’s no longer our concern; go ahead and ask for as much as you want.

And so, as if they had coordinated it, the brands lined up to call Cheng Cheng.

Another call came through.

Cheng Cheng picked up and went straight to the point: "Hello, I’m your father."

The person on the other end paused for a second, a question mark hovering over their head, but professional decorum triumphed over personal insult. Suppressing her anger, she said, "Mr. Cheng, I know it’s you. I am the manager of the legal department at Fanghua Beauty. I would like to discuss the compensation regarding the negative impact you have caused our brand."

Cheng Cheng replied, "I can discuss it with you."

The caller let out a sigh of relief, but Cheng Cheng immediately followed up, "But I don't want to discuss it with you."

Playing for a fool, the caller grew desperate: "Mr. Cheng, evasion is not a solution. Because you have brought negative publicity upon yourself, damaging our commercial interests, we have the right to issue statements, terminate our contract, remove all related promotional materials, and demand a refund of your commission along with compensation for the reasonable expenses and losses incurred by our brand."

Cheng Cheng: "The so-called negative news is false. I do not admit to it."

The caller: "But you have undeniably caused us a negative impact. According to the principle of 'defense of insecurity,' Article 69 of the Contract Law states that since you have failed to resolve this insecurity, we have the right to terminate the contract and pursue claims against you."

Cheng Cheng said, "Causing a negative impact does not equal me owing compensation. Are you saying that as long as someone spreads rumors and slanders me, you can demand compensation? In that case, you could simply sign someone, pay people to slander them, and then demand compensation. Congratulations, you’ve discovered a new business model. With this strategy, I’m sure you’ll soon surpass Revoce and crush Oberon to become the world’s largest company. Should I congratulate you in advance?"

The caller: "First of all, the people spreading rumors and slandering you are not from our company. Secondly, as long as you cause a substantial negative impact on our company, regardless of whether it is slander or not, we have the right to hold you accountable. Lastly, and excuse my boldness, but are you not aware yourself whether or not it is slander, Mr. Cheng? The entire internet has concluded you cheated; please stop quibbling and deceiving yourself."

Cheng Cheng: "You were a fan of mine, weren't you?"

"What?" The caller was caught off guard.

Cheng Cheng said, "Only my former fans could be this idiotic and hate me this much. I can hear the deep resentment in your tone. If it’s not because your life is going poorly, it’s because you can’t stand me. Honestly, for an A-list celebrity like me to waste so much breath on you is an act of charity. Alright, charity time is over; I’m hanging up. You can spend the rest of your life reminiscing about having been this close to me. I think that will be enough to sustain you through countless lonely and empty nights."

The caller: "Mr. Cheng, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? I advise you to cooperate, otherwise, this will be very unfavorable for you."

"Then go find a court."

Cheng Cheng hung up the phone decisively.

Within five minutes, he received the next call, then the next, and the next, and the next...

Every call followed the same template.

"Hello, I’m your father."

"Causing a negative impact does not equal me owing compensation."

"You must be a fan of mine, right?"

"Then go find a court!"

Fed up, the brands exposed Cheng Cheng directly on Weibo, attaching recordings of the calls. When the other brands saw this, they realized: Good lord, he wasn't just talking to us that way! He was talking to every single brand like that.

United by their mutual hatred, the brands quickly banded together and posted on Weibo to criticize Cheng Cheng, which sparked another wave of trending topics. Among them, #Hello, I’m your father# and #You must be a fan of mine, right# even made it to the Weibo hot search list.

As netizens marveled at what they thought was Cheng Cheng’s final descent into madness, they continued to mock and enjoy the show:

"Hahahaha, 'You must be a fan of mine, right,' 'Only my former fans could be this idiotic and hate me this much.' I’m dying, I’m laughing so hard I’m snorting like a pig. I have to stand with Cheng Cheng this time!"

"Too crazy, hahahaha. The world has finally become as crazy as I wanted it to be."

"Setting aside his moral values, ever since his downfall, Cheng Cheng has actually become really entertaining, hahahaha!"

"The people who fan Cheng Cheng are indeed idiots. Damn, he was actually right this time!"

"While furiously retorting to the brands, Cheng Cheng doesn't even forget to drag his own fans along. This is truly a mutual hatred! I’m crying! Laughing until I’m crying!"

"I’m laughing so hard I’m squirming on my bed like a maggot."

"The first person in the history of Chinese entertainment to roast his own fans."

"What a beautiful state of mind! Hahaha! 'Hello, I’m your father.' I’ve been laughing for five minutes. Someone save me from my own pathetic sense of humor."

"Setting aside everything else, this is the most articulate he’s been since his debut. My god, I actually heard what he said without needing subtitles!"

The whole internet was laughing, except for his fans, who took another critical hit and became the targets of collective ridicule.

His fans, both current and former, saw the #You must be a fan of mine, right# hashtag and felt their world go black; they nearly fainted.

They were bewildered and furious: Cheng Cheng, what did we do wrong to deserve this? Even if some fans left and turned against you, that doesn't represent all of us! How many more times are you going to hurt us?

Even the "little haters" couldn't hold it together anymore, crazily enjoying the jokes and memes.

Recent news had been as festive as the Lunar New Year for them.

Hahahaha, Cheng Cheng is just too fun right now! We love it!

However, Lu Chen was worried about the public opinion online. He called Cheng Cheng, and Cheng Cheng was quite touched, sighing:

As it turns out, the haters are the true fans.

He told Lu Chen not to worry, because—

The moment for a counterattack had arrived!